Bryce Harper and the Nats have consistently been playing in front of large crowds.

More than one player in the Nationals' clubhouse following last night's win noted the energy emanating from the stands as the home team mounted its rally from four runs down in the bottom of the seventh.

"We had a great crowd out there tonight," Bryce Harper said. "That really propped everybody up to get going."

Perhaps it was the lack of loud music and scoreboard-encouraged chants, a byproduct of Turn Back the Clock Night. Or perhaps it was simply the growing excitement over the National League's best team through this season's first half.

This much is certain: Fans are pouring into Nationals Park in numbers not seen since the ballpark opened four years ago, and not seen at all in these parts since baseball's first season back in the District.Read more »

I can hear the crowds on tv – not only are they larger, they are much louder. We really don't need all that mtv crap during the games. I wish they would tone it down. How are we doing with sellout? I know they are hard because of those pricy seats that don't sell , but I think we have had a couple this year?

It was easy for the Marlins to have a 65% increased when it's based on a 5000 average attendance!!! For all you stat. hungry people, I just picked that figure out of the air. I wish they could use those old style uniforms more often. They are great looking.

Probably unfair but we will top the 2.7 million mark due to the extra games we will be playing in October! Probably the loudest game I have attended and so many stayed until the end as well. Only disappointment was that damn wave started up again.Loved the absence of "gimics" between innings and I also liked the outfits for the grounds crew. I also don't believe there were any "nats pack" sighting. Guess they will return tonight but if anyone from the front office is listening, last night was just great.Go Nats!

Tonight will be my 20th game at the park (including the ST with Boston). How CRAZY is that! I think I have at least 15-20 more to go between ST Tickets, Red Carpet Rewards, and work freebies.Loved the lack of gimics as well! And SJM.. The NatsPack was out in throw back uni tops.. that's how the wave got started.

Not to mention, it's no longer an all-time record, no thanks to Mike Bascik. =)"Career HR Leaders:1.Barry Bonds/762, 2.Hank Aaron/755"Drew: I think there's a real chance that Harper will challenge Henry Aaron's all-time record of 755 home runs.Sofa: Well, not crazy, but perhaps just the teensiest bit premature. The guy's been in the majors for what, two months?July 06, 2012 11:02 AM

The NatsPack was out in throw back uni tops.. that's how the wave got started.If it indeed was the NatPack that started the wave last night, they deserve to be shot. Firearms are legal in the District now, right? And if someone came to the game packing and picked off the offending NatPackers one by one, would a jury convict? That's not a clown question, bro.

Realdealnats said…I usually agree with Ghost's sentiments, and I love these guys and this chemistry so much, but this morning:I've been re-thinking my position on Greinke in that maybe we do have the players to trade that might outdo ATL. Since we have a logjam in the bullpen, and the infield/LF, how about–being realistic–Det, Lombo, Wang, and Henry if we have to? But only for a Greinke with an extension.I do that trade in a heartbeat if you get an extension from Greinke. I don't see the Brewers doing it.

In terms of Nats history, this is a very important thread.Why? Because Nationals fans are saying we want to take back our park–take it back from non-stop electronic interruptions and gimmicks!My brother was here for two of the Rays games. He saw the screen tell us to Make Some Noise in an early inning, with one Rays guy on base and one out. He said that this message was not only stupid, it didn't make sense in the context of the game.Same for the idiotic Let Me Hear You 10th Man when the Rays were BATTING!!Also, multiple times they started the electronic prompts for Let's Go Nats at really odd times.I was at the game last night. The fans clearly inspired the team. Everyone was on their feet. Different sections got different chants going, in competition with other sections, trying to get something going in the whole stadium. The Let's Go Nats chant was the loudest I've ever heard at Nats Park. It was FUN!Multiple callers to the post-game radio show said the EXACT same thing. They said it was more fun, and they felt like more a part of the game, when every quiet second wasn't immediately filled with the awful "Everybody Clap Your Hands."It's time to shut the nonstop garbage down. The people SHOWED last night that THEY WANT TO CHEER ON THE NATIONALS, NOT BE INTERRUPTED BY RANDOM, ILL-TIMED ELECTRONIC NOISE THE WHOLE GAME.Note: I am not some retrograde from the 1850s. I love the racing presidents, Nat Pack, video board, bands playing on the Miller Scoreboard Walk, Screech, fans doing Let's Play Ball, dance-cam between innings…but when the GAME is being played, let the FANS TAKE OVER THE JOB.(Style note: All caps indicates screaming.)

Was at Nats Park last night for the first time in a couple of weeks. Was pleased to see the ushers with their new little STOP signs to (supposedly) keep people from clogging the aisles & trying to squeeze past me during play with their tubs of nachos . Was less than pleased to see the sign (at least in Sec. 317) had no impact whatsoever. Am I being a cranky old man to be irritated at this lack of proper baseball etiquette? The Caps' ushers seem to be able to keep their charges in line. What's the problem with the Nats?

Steve J. M., for us older guys, we have to put up with the t-shirt toss and the NatsPack. For the youngins' they love that stuff. The little kids love the President mascots.I travel a lot to other stadiums. There are other parks that are even worse. Some with horrible music for every situation like 1-2-3 innings and walks and wild pitches.

I've never been to the park and I'm really looking forward to the series against the Cards, I'll be there for all four games mixed with a round at Congressional. I may not come to DC often but I try to do it right lol.

We are probably a skewed sample of hard-core Nats fans with a comorbid blog addiction. Do our uniform views on the ancillary music and hype and circus (being told when to get loud) generalize to the vast majority of ticket buyers? To kids?I suspect so, but until this gets proven, coupled with absence of any data demonstrating that the electronic BS is actually DETERRING attendance, I'm not foreseeing any change.Cynically yours,Sniv

It was great to be at the park yesterday. Yes, he fans took back the park from the electronic antics. It was one of the loudest crowds this season and a very knowledgable crowd — specifically, the reaction to Harper's extended at-bat off Cain as tension and crowd noise built with each foul ball. Going to the park is becoming more and more fun!Go Nats!!

But if, based on an admittedly small sample, the ballpark is louder and the cheering heartier without scoreboard and musical exhortations, then what's the point of "everybody clap your hands" and flashing "Let's Make Noise" signs on the scoreboard?

As a fan who had no choice but to watch on TV, I was jealous to not be a part of the crowd. Not just because of the exciting win, but because the whole experience looked and sounded so much more pure than it usually does. While I'm not calling for the throwbacks every night (though I would love to see them more often) it would be nice to scale back the electronic distractions.Last night, my girlfriend turned to me on the couch and said, seemingly out of the blue "baseball is a lot more exciting than people realize when you're able to just watch the game"While I've been a blog reader/avid stat nerd/sparse commenter since 2005, It's nice to see that a lot of casual fans are starting to take notice that baseball can be enjoyed for the game it is, not for the "experience" Clint & Co. force-feed us most nights at Nats Park.

natsfan1a: thank you.Snivius: good points. I would make the case that last night was an empirical test. It was as if the team said they wanted to test the hypothesis that if they turned off 95 percent of the electronic interruptions WHILE PLAYERS WERE ON THE FIELD (I mean italics, not screaming), that the fans would respond enthusiastically to the opportunity to cheer on their team.An imperfect example of the scientific method, I admit, but a pretty good empirical test nonetheless.And what did the fans do? Young and old, Nats Insider and novice, men and women, stood and cheered and clapped and inspired their team more than any time I have observed at Nationals Park.And so I think Nats executives, an alert and focused group in my experience, were paying attention, were having more fun themselves, heard the radio and the Post today and the blogosphere, and might make some good changes.Thanks.

A couple of thoughts and a discussion topic:1. When Werth returns, Davey will need to decide who is lead-off man is for the rest of the season. Presumably the Lombo/TyMo platoon goes to the bench, Espi leads off v LHP and RHP, and Werth bats 7th v RHP and 6th v LHP. TyMo gets some starts at 1B v LHP and bats 7th. Lombo gets a start or two a week giving Desi and Espi a rest occasionally v a tough RHP. He's the small ball guy off the bench otherwise.2. I would be very hesitant to make a trade at the expense of chemistry. I thought one of the (many) issues in '05 was when they added Preston Wilson. It upset the delicate balance they had developed. Greinke especially worries me as a character guy. 3. For discussion… and this is nit picking I realize – Bo Porter is going to cost the Nats one or two games this year. He almost did last night. On Harper's 9th inning hit he put up a very indecisive stop sign to Lombo as he was rounding 2nd heading to 3rd. Luckily Lombo blew through it and was safe. Some runners may have hesitated though and been thrown out. Other bad habits Porter has include being way too aggressive sending runners home with nobody out and getting runners thrown out by 30 feet. Anybody else seeing this?

But he did not mention the guy Peric has mentioned here a couple of times — Potomac backstop David Freitas.On Thursday night he had two homers and five RBIs.@Drew,All the rest he mentioned are above high-A and considered great defensive catchers. Freitas is the Nat's replacement for Derrick Norris and just might be better. Like Norris he has a ways to go to learn all the nuances of the defensive side of the game. What surprises me is that we haven't heard much from Luke Erickson on his progress there? He was pretty on top of Derrick Norris' work behind the plate. And no one mentions Corey Brown who has almost as many homers in AAA with 19 plus 6 triples. Has to count for something? AAA is a lot higher than A.

Wasn't at the game last night but agree with all the let's-stop-electronic-vocal-cattle-prods. I'll bet one of the reasons the crowd was so into it was the fact that they COULD get into it, without the idiotic noise. Truth is, most people ignore the "Let's Make Noise" commands. We may be a small and select minority but we are certainly on to something. If ownership wants a family-friendly place, let's save the kiddies' eardrums.

Ghost, I agree with you re Greinke. If I am the Brewers GM I tell Rizzo: 'if I don't here Jordan Zimmermann in the next 30 seconds I am hanging up'. You can't make a package of 'B' players and expect to get back an 'A' player unless it's a salary dump. I think Atlanta is in a better position to get this done because they have 2 'A' prospect pitchers in Delgado and Tehran they may be willing to move. I still think that one of: Rodriguez, Dempster, McCarthy or Millwood is an upgrade over Lannan and you may get one of them for a 'B' package.

I agree with everyone about the electronic cheerleading. No need for it. I noticed a nice change last night with the "Don't give up" video before the bottom of the 9th. Instead of movie clips, we got a collage of walk-off victories. Much more energizing, although I still love Belushi yelling "Let's Do It!"

Peric, I completely agree on Corey Brown. I don't see what else he has to do in AAA. It's not just the HR's it pretty much every offensive category. He needs to starts in the majors somewhere now. As far as the players in low A ball I have seen too many of them really struggle on the way up after raking at that level. I really think it's time to move: Goodwin, Meyer and Skole at least 1 level up.

JD, I agree with you. I also think a veteran with post-season experience would be a bonus. Greinke would be too expensive to the farm system.BTW Peric, Bernadina became the Shark when the fans named him and Tyler Moore said to me he liked TyMo. I think you still call Morse MikeyMo when he is the Beast. It's great you know their Twitter names Sheesh..

I think Atlanta is in a better position to get this done because they have 2 'A' prospect pitchers in Delgado and Tehran they may be willing to move.Atlanta isn't losing a Strasburg to an innings limit. Atlanta seems more likely to want to keep those guys and go for Grienke when he becomes a free agent. It is just a 2 or 3 month rental and he isn't worth losing those two.The Nats still seem like a team that could get him to sign on the dotted line right after the trade … we'll have to wait and see how it goes there's still time.There are a lot of variables that go into it.

and Tyler Moore said to me he liked TyMo. The players call him T-Mo and his unofficial nickname (ala "shark") is the Magnolia Muscle given to him by the Syracuse radio guys. Or you could just call him Mississippi.

Feel Wood, I'm with you; it's time for the Nats to drop the cheerleaders (live and video) while the game is going on. I have to endure Terrance prancing back and forth in front of me while I try and concentrate on the game. Unlike years past, the team generates enough excitement on its own that the fans can figure out when to cheer.

MichelleS, He is. He is expected back after the all star break. He has pitched very well for the A's but he is hurt a lot. That's actually a fair consideration; you wouldn't want to give up decent players only to lose the man you are getting just when you need him. Peric, I still don't see what we can put together to pry Greinke from Milwaukee.

Ghost, JD, Gonat–Agreed on the Brewers turning up their noses at my proposed trade. Just testing the waters. And wondering–as I said to Sofa–if there's a way to have our cake and eat it too. But most of the guys they'd want I would not want to give up: TyMo, Corey Brown, Goodwyn, etc

I really think it's time to move: Goodwin, Meyer and Skole at least 1 level up.Have to wonder if they aren't waiting for the trade deadline for that. Potomac needs pitching because outside of Nate Karns, who just might be bumped to AA Harrisburg, there isn't much. The Nats fail to sign Gioliito then they had a horrendous draft. They need to find prospects somewhere and the over abundance of position players near the top might be a way to address that. Its a risk reward deal …I wouldn't trade Brown or Moore. Morse also has to be considered a possibility given his propensity toward injuries the last three years. His stats are the same as Moore's, he has fewer walks and more strike outs. I'm still a huge Morse fan but its a competition and players like Brown and Moore who both now ostensibly play in the outfield? And then there's first base as well. Again, a lot of variables go into what the Nats will decide to do. And this manager can and will nix trades if he thinks it affects the chemistry and dynamics he has built.But, prospect wise the Nats must now be considered short again. If they make a play for Grienke that could conceivably become far worst.

The Brewers once upon a time traded away their top prospects to Cleveland for CC Sabathia and where did it get them in that season? They could've used those prospects last year for a trade to get them over the Top.MicheleS, love you too!

You know how you can tell, sitting at home, that attendance is up? Look at the Lexus seats behind home plate. A lot more fannies in them these days.Stupidest crowd prod, IMHO, is "Every-body clap yo' hands!" That's a simple admission that the team isn't doing anything worth cheering for. I don't remember hearing it right after a Nat launches a pitch into the bull pen, or when a Nat strikes out the side. Funny, isn't it?

Peric,I still don't see what we can put together to pry Greinke from Milwaukee.Depends on what Milwaukee wants. Tommy Milone was the clincher that put the Nats over all the other teams vying for Gonzalez. Is their GM as astute as Billy Beane appears to be? I don't think so. And, again, it is a short term rental!Most teams, and especially Atlanta a truly astute organization, are not going to part with pitching prospects such as those listed for a short-term rental. Even if Grienke agrees to be extended I'm not sure they would consider losing those guys. Why? The new draft rules constrain the Braves as well as it does the Nats. Its going to be harder to get HS prospects for awhile. And multiple high picks in the same year? How do you sign them all? That won't change until prospects' bonus expectations get lowered … who knows when or if that happens? if that doesn't change then Selig may be forced to resign and the rules will change. But, we're talking years.

I have to endure Terrance prancing back and forth in front of me while I try and concentrate on the game.Fortunately the NatPack never prances up into the Gallery Level where I sit. I think if they ever did I'd be texting to that number they show up on the scoreboard, the one that wants to know if someone or something is impeding your enjoyment of the game.

I may be wrong but I am not concerned about Giolito; he'll sign. Not too many kids risk millions to go to college if they are planning on a baseball career; just trying to squeeze as much as possible. I think the deadline is 7/15; right?

If they can't extend Greinke, they probably can't use him, and as much as he's said to want to win *now*, you're unlikely to get him for less than about $100MM/5 years, according to … well, rumors, but still. The Braves, and Wren, as a rule, haven't gone that route lately, tho they/he could. Trying to "bid them up" is always a risky deal.

Can we just call him The Tweeter?Bryce is the snarky Tweeter Swag and BamBam. Of course for now he is tweeter-less. Guess he is going to try to become a fireman in the offseason. Wonder how the Nats will feel about that?

I think if they ever did I'd be texting to that number they show up on the scoreboard, the one that wants to know if someone or something is impeding your enjoyment of the game. Oooh, I think we have a strategy, but it's got to be popular to work. Start texting to them "Somebody is playing really loud obnoxious music in our section."

you're unlikely to get him for less than about $100MM/5 years, according to … well, rumors, but still.That is what Ted offered him as I recall … in fact I am pretty sure it was slightly above that amount. I don't see anything that has changed relative to that original offer except another year has gone by.

As for possible trade chips for Grienke? They've got Detwiler, H-Rod, Mattheus, and Storen who are all still pretty young. They've got Moore, Lombo, Brown, Bernadina. Younger prospects could include Rosenbaum and Karns plus Hood, Perez, Kobernus. They do have catching depth again and could offer Sandy Leon … perhaps even the injured Ramos. I think from that mix the Nats could wheel-and-deal with the Brewers. But it all depends on whether Grienke is willing to extend now and not wait to become a free agent. Then I strongly suspect the Nats will jump on it. It means a solid rotation for the next 5 years given the prospects they will still have working down in the minors. Definitely be nice to sign Lucas Giolito to a contract … they really need to find a way to get that done … but as the days pass it looks less and less likely.

Just listened to Buser Olney.. He said NO to Grienke, but maybe to Dempster/Millwood, etc. He thinks the Brewers will have a more difficult time trading Grienke because of the new compensetory picks rule with the Draft. IE.. The Brewers are going to want to get the equivalent of a #1 draft choice for him. Rizzo won't do that. He thinks Hammels will be traded.

Thanks everyone for your comments regarding the over-bearing sound and video effects in the stadium.This is an awesome baseball site. It is about 99% baseball, as it should be. But I would like to spend just one more comment on this topic of electronic interruptions, because I think we have an opportunity to change things–right now–that we would never have had without the Turn Back the Clock fan experience last night.The point I'm trying to make, and that I would encourage everyone to make to your ticket reps or team reps, is this:The audio and visual stuff at Nats Park has gotten WAY out of balance. As we, the fans, demonstrated last night, we want to Take Back the Park from the sound machine!What has happened in baseball, is that various decent ideas (e.g., the sound of a window breaking after a foul ball is hit in a minor league park, playing Gary Glitter's Rock On at a pitching change, the "Game Over" scoreboard when LA's lights-out closer came in a few years ago) turned into a computer sound and visual board in the press box, with a kid given the instructions to:Fill every bit of quiet with noise and imagery, and to silence (like a needle going across a record) every fan chant as soon as it gets going. I have seen this–we all have–hundreds of times at Nats Park.- When it comes to electronic/AV distractions, there is never subtraction, only addition.And so our plea is to put things back into BALANCE.Here's a great case in point. We have lots of fans from other teams that come to Nats Park. They cheer "Let's go Giants/Braves/Whatever" at natural points when they want to get their team going, or when the team is in a rally. Isn't it WEIRD to have one of these (VISITING) fans say to one of us, "How come Nats fans need a scoreboard prompt to get a cheer going?" It is embarrassing. Last night, with the ConstantSoundMachine turned off, we showed the Giants how feeble their "Let's Go Giants" really was!I would emphasize one important thing also: We are not asking for BALANCE to spite the young fans and kids, we are doing it in SUPPORT of them. I was at a game when a Boy Scout troop, a whole bunch of them, was trying to get a cheer going. Naturally it caught on and began to spread, until it was silenced by the idiotic drummming gimmick. They tried again–and Everybody Clap Your Hands shut them up.Same for college kids. I go to games with lots of them, my kids and their friends. When they see these random and endless messages they just mutter, "head scratcher" "odd" and "is Homer's chicken running the AV board tonight?" (from the episode where Homer lost his job and was replaced by chicken.)This is our one opportunity to cut out the vast majority of nonsensical, ill-timed, repetitive, annoying, fan-stifling, cheer-silencing electronic distractions.Blog. Contact your team or ticket rep. Get your friends involved. Now is the time for us to truly take back Nats Park.

The Brewers are going to want to get the equivalent of a #1 draft choice for him. Detwiler is a #1 pick. And he is something Grienke is not and never will be: a left-handed starter.But, Davey Johnson has a say in who he feels he needs. However, if a good argument can be made that it helps the future of the franchise over the long-term? Davey will demur. The question is would Zach Grienke help this franchise over the long-term? Along with Stras, JZimm, and Gio? That would just be 4. There would still be room for Purke, Meyer, Solis, etc. when they are ready.

Peric, no, Tommy Milone was not the clincher on the Gio trade. It was AJ Cole.Gonat, they had already offered Cole and had him in the package. Beane asked for Milone and Rizzo initially, and for a good long time said no. Milone was major league ready. Cole was and is not even if he was the so-called gem of the package. Of course an argument could be made for Derrick Norris as well.

Peric — Whatever Rizzo offered him, I don't think we have any way of knowing whether or not Grienke found it (in)adequate. Grienke was pretty clear at the time — and quite reasonably so — that he didn't want to go to a Nats team that had been stripped of key players essential to build a contender as the price of getting him. Personally, I suspect Grienke would take that offer, seeing what RZim did. Of course, what Grienke would want is a completely different question from what Milwaukee would accept.

Peric — Whatever Rizzo offered him, I don't think we have any way of knowing whether or not Grienke found it (in)adequate. According to Grienke himself Ted Lerner, personally, made that offer to him. Not Rizzo. Grienke said he was quite impressed with the Nationals.

Peric.. Det is in the Majors, the other guys are not proven yet, which is my point, Rizzo won't give up Det (who is under control and cheap).. he might give up one of those other guys, still don't think it will be enough. As pointed out earlier, when the Brewers got CC that took a lot out of their farm system, why should we make the same mistake they made?

Bud Selig has put the clamps on the Nationals strategy of finding top talent in the draft and signing them to overslot contracts to get them on board. As was done with 12th rounder Nate Karns for example. Robbie Ray, etc.They can no longer do that thanks to the new CBA. Acquiring young, proven top of the rotation starters like Zach Grienke is a way around that … and this is a chance to get one without having to compete with other teams to get him to sign on. Being in the middle of a pennant race with what amounts to a still very young team is a HUGE, GINORMOUS selling point to a baseball geek like Grienke who likely wants to be a GM when he grows up.

Det is in the Majors, the other guys are not proven yet, which is my point, Detwiler is NOT proven yet. Not by a long shot! Otherwise, wouldn't he be at the top of the rotation over Jordan Zimmermann who was drafted BELOW HIM! Detwiler is expendable for a Zach Grienke believe me.

As pointed out earlier, when the Brewers got CC that took a lot out of their farm system, why should we make the same mistake they made?Its risk reward. Grienke would be added to what is already a very solid rotation. And besides I wouldn't bet a $1 against Purke or Solis knocking Detwiler out of that slot. And the Nats have more years of control. Adding Grienke to Strasburg, Gio, and JZimmnn (who must be extended) is not like the Brewer's acquiring CC Sabathia. My guess is the Brewers would want JZimmnn. Trading that pitcher would be a blunder.

'Detwiler is expendable for a Zach Grienke believe me'. Every day of the week and twice on Sunday. The problem is I don't think he'll be enough. Maybe Det + Storen + Leon + . Remember it took 4 of our top 5 prospects to get Gio and Greink is no worse than Gio. The assumption is of course that you do an extension. You can't give up that much for a rental.

Running around getting ready for a trip to England, so I haven't read all the comments, but I imagine the reaction amongst this knowledgable group to last night's game, and atmosphere, is identical to mine — fantastic in every way. All the details of Turn Black the Clock Night, from the scoreboard to the replays, to the attire of the vendors were just great. Congrats to the Nats management for developing and putting on this great show. And of course, the lack of "in game entertainment" was not missed in the least. I'd love it if they just did away with that stuff, of course, but you know they won't. So how about designating one game per homestand, or one per month if they prefer, as another turn back the clock night. With or without the throwback uniforms for the teams. Maybe with a different promotion — hats, food, whatever, each time. I'll bet these games would become very, very popular. Maybe even kids would start to like watching baseball the way many of us did when we were growing up. Dear Mr. Feffer. Congrats, well done. And please don't make us wait a year for another turn back the clock night.

And it goes without saying, I'll be checking this blog while I'm overseas to keep up with the Nats. Fortunately, I'll be back July 16, just in time for the next homestand. And I'm going to try to find a pub in London that broadcasts the ASG at 2 am. Not bloody likely, I know.

Trading JZ to get Greinke makes no sense whatsoever for Nats. For that slight upgrade in pitching, you are giving up a cheaper alternative for years and having to rely on fighting off all other suitors in the off-season. Not happening. we will have to part with prospects, not major league veterans (referring to post that suggested trade of wang, det, etc for Zack). Greinke in current rotation sounds awesome but I won't even trade a single top prospect for a 3-month rental. I still read about Colon trade once in a while.If Baltimore were to fall out of contention by July, I wonder if J Hammel would suit us. He has put up decent numbers and our infield defense could help further lower his ERA.

The Brewers are historically impatient — the Sabathia trade being the prime example. They were willing to pay a high price to get into the playoffs RIGHT NOW. Even knowing then, as they knew w/ Fielder, they had no hope of retaining him. I've read that, if they trade Greinke, they want to win next year. Other than Z'mann, the Nats have nothing to offer that gets them to that point — and from the Nats' perspective that's like trading Exxon for Sunoco. Why bother? All you need to know is that Baseball America doesn't list any Nats properties among its Top 50 prospects. There's nobody in the system, let alone someone ready to contribute to a playoff team next season, that — today — would entice Milwaukee to part with Greinke.

Gonat.. the only way Det is expendable is if they get Grienke to sign an extension. Plus the Brewers will want A TON more if Grienke signs the extension. I think there is a good chance that Grienke ends up in TX.

F.S.'s suggestion re Hammel is interesting. I think, however, both teams are very leery of dealing w/ each other and I don't think either would embark on anything that might have a chance of making the other team better. Apart from that, unless the O's hit a 15-game losing streak — which is possible — they're going to think they still have a shot at the playoffs when July 31 rolls around.

Great points Do1Teach1…agree wholeheartedly and we have voiced our opinions to the Nationals, as well. I was at the Nationals game on the 4th and am down in NC for a baseball tournament so went to check out the Durham Bulls last night. I forgot how great it was not to have to deal with all of the audio and visual distractions every 2 seconds. The Nats are doing too much to attract the non-baseball fans in my opinion. Let the product on the field speak for itself.

Regarding Strasburg…he is not getting shut down so the trade talk for another starter is a moot point (commence yelling and name-calling). He will be at about 100 IP through 88 games if he is pushed back after AS break like Davey said. No way they don't figure something out, especially if they can afford to limit him to 5 IP per start down the stretch or even rest him if a playoff spot looks like a lock. I am not saying this should happen…I am saying this will happen.

All you need to know is that Baseball America doesn't list any Nats properties among its Top 50 prospects. There's nobody in the system, let alone someone ready to contribute to a playoff team next season, that — today — would entice Milwaukee to part with Greinke. Just curious. Harper is up for good, of course, as is Lombardozzi, maybe Moore and even Solano are, too. Under other circumstances, all but Harper might still be "prospects" in the system. I wonder how they'd rate on that list? The Onion, particularly, has to have seen his stock go way up lately, no?

(commence yelling and name-calling)Honestly, all the names were called and the whatnot yelled, months ago. Everything to be said seems to have been said, long ago. We have months of "Will not!" "Will SO!" to look forward to, unless … no, I'm not even going to say it.

The most satisfying thing about the crowd on Turn Back the Clock night was that it was, by and large, busy watching a baseball game. I am all for walk-up music and the Dance Cam. But I discovered that I really hate the electronic cheerleading from the scoreboard. Not every pitch is critical; not every situation in a baseball game is a crisis. The fans last night understood that, and what you got was a pretty genuine fan response.One last thought: it's pretty darn hot out there. If you keep whipping the fans up for NOTHING with electronic cheerleading, they might be too exhausted to cheer a real rally.

I still don't believe we need to mortgage our future – either through players or money -to get Greinke or anyone else at this stage. We just beat SF with our 3, 4, and 5 pitchers, who would be 2,3, and 4 in the postseason. I'm good with that. We should spend our money locking up JZimm, Store, Clip, Desmond, etc for the long term. And, I think we will regret it if we give up 4 more good young players this year. Our farm system took too much time and work to get to this point.

To do1teach1 and everyone above who preferred the fan experience last night to the usual electronic overstimulation/badgering at Nats Park (which is to say, everyone commenting on this blog) — in the course of asking a question to a Nats season ticket associate about something else, I conveyed the message do1teach1 suggested about preferring last night's experience and requesting that they discontinue the electronic cheerleading. He said he'd pass on the message, but also suggested that the most effective way for people on this blog to convey this view is through the "entertainment" link on the "contact us" page of the Nats' site, at http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/help/index.jsp?c_id=was.Of course, emails by all of us to Andy Feffer wouldn't hurt, either.